Salem Football Stadium
 Stadium during the 2010 Stagg Bowl | |
 | |
| Location | 1001 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, Virginia, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°17′16″N 80°02′11″W / 37.287672°N 80.036454°W |
| Owner | City of Salem |
| Capacity | 7,157 |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Tenants | |
| Stagg Bowl (1993–2017, 2023) NCFA Championship (2012–2015) Roanoke Maroons (NCAA) (2024-Present) Salem Spartans (VHSL) (1985–Present) | |
Salem Stadium is a stadium in Salem, Virginia, United States. It is primarily used for football and hosts the home football games of the Salem High School Spartans. It was built in 1985[1][2] and seats 7,157 people. The stadium is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex (named after a former mayor of Salem), which also includes the Salem Civic Center and the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Salem Stadium hosted the NCAA Division III national football championship game, known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, from 1993 to 2017.,[2] and again in 2023. From 2012 to 2015, the National Club Football Association, which sanctions most club football in U.S. colleges, also held its championship games at Salem Stadium;[3] for 2016, Salem was designated as a semifinal site for the NCFA playoffs, but play was moved to the smaller Salem High School.[4] In 2015, the natural playing surface was replaced by FieldTurf in an effort to ensure that the Stagg Bowl would continue to be played in Salem. The field was named the Willis White Field in honor of the former head football coach at Salem High School. Salem Stadium also currently hosts the Virginia High School League football state championships in Class 1 and Class 2 as well as the Southwestern Virginia Educational Classic, an annual contest between two football teams from historically black colleges and universities.
In June 2023, local institution Roanoke College announced they would be reviving the school's football program and that the team would play their home games at Salem Football Stadium.[5] The Maroons played a club season in 2024 and will become full-fledged members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in 2025.[6]
References
- ^ "A Timeline History of Salem Football, Virginia". Salem Football History. Salem Football Museum and Historical Society. 2004. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
- ^ a b Wimmer, Howard (September 16, 2005). "Salem stadium almost ready for season opener". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
- ^ Salem Set to Host 2015 NCFA Postseason Events Archived 2015-08-02 at the Wayback Machine (June 12, 2015). Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ^ NCFA Announces Playoff and Championship Game Locations (September 14, 2016). Retrieved September 18, 2016.
- ^ https://www.roanoke.edu/news/maroon_football_campaign
- ^ https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/11/27/roanoke-college-football-honors-past-looks-toward-future/